CJI flags Communal Content in Media

Context: The Supreme Court expressed serious concern over the fact that false news is spread through social media platforms and digital portals with few checks.
Key highlights

• The SC was hearing petitions highlighting how some media outlets aired communal content linking the spread of the coronavirus to a Tablighi Jamaat meet held at Nizamuddin in Delhi.

The Chief Justice of India remarked that

• Certain sections of the media communalised everything and this would ultimately result in giving the country a bad name.
• There is a lack of accountability on the part of social media platforms.
• The social media platforms only responded to powerful people, while complaints made by ordinary people, institutions and judges over content were ignored.

Role of Media in promoting communal harmony

• Media acts as a fourth pillar of the society. It reaches people widely and is the source of information for society regarding any issue be it local, regional or global.
• Media acts as an influential and instrumental tool with regards to building confidence or promoting mistrust among people on issues related to national security
• The primary responsibility of the Media is of creating an informed citizenry in order to empower society and strengthen democracy.
• It should play an active role in enhancing social, religious and communal harmony for the betterment of the community, the society and the nation.

Recommendations

• Adopt appropriate language to raise awareness: Increasing awareness will likely deter manipulative behaviours and increase pressure on platforms to take action.
• Creation of media evaluation tools: Media evaluation tools can provide information on media bias and news quality. Information on bias/quality can help citizens make informed news-related choices.
• Training journalists: Journalists could be trained to reduce instances of inadvertent amplification or manipulation.
• Transparency of social media platforms: Increasing the transparency of social media platforms and fixing accountability in case of manipulation.

Key Facts

• The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, provide a redressal mechanism and timely resolution of grievances of users of social media and over-the-top platforms.
• The rules require these platforms to appoint a grievance redressal officer who is a resident of India.

About Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021

• It provides for a three-level grievance redressal mechanism — self-regulation by broadcasters, self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the broadcasters, and oversight by an Inter-Departmental Committee at the level of the Union government.
• Such appeals will be dealt with by the Inter-Departmental Committee set up under the Oversight Mechanism.
• The committee will be headed by the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and have members from various ministries.